Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi may discuss merger

Car makers Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi may discuss a merger later in the future, Jean-Dominique Senard, the Chief Executive Officer of the French car manufacturer said on Saturday.

“These discussions over a capitalistic merger have been carried out for a while and they were brought out in a dramatic way recently. I think that later on, as events unfold, Renault, Nissan and Mistubishi will think about that with serenity,” Senard said in an interview with France Inter radio station.

For now, the companies are working on ways to optimise their alliance, said Senard, who heads of it.

Talks about a possible merger over the past days “have scared out everybody”, Senard said.

The removal of Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn, credited with rescuing Nissan from near-bankruptcy in 1999, from the head of the alliance has raised a cloud of uncertainty about its future.

As Nissan ponders its future without Ghosn, who is charged with financial misconduct, French partner Renault has been quietly manoeuvring for merger talks, sources at both automakers have recently told Reuters.